Battle Between Brothers
by Chiquita Linda
Summary: YONA!Everything is going well between Yoh and Anna until Hao shows up.He kidnapps Anna right in front of Yoh.Will Yoh be able to rescue Anna in time or will Hao end up killing his brother in a battle to the DEATH? Rated for language and mild violence
1. Rightfully mine

- Hey everyone! I hope that you guys'll like this story. I decided to write this fic cause I thought that it was about time that I write a fic that's not all humorace and all. So I decided to write a fic that's a little more dramatic and suspenseful. Hope that you guys like it. Well here it goes:

Battle Between Brothers  
Chapter 1: Rightfully Mine  
Started:12/29/04  
Finished:12/30/04

It was another ordinary day in the Asakura house hold. Horo Horo and the other's were in the living room watching tv and Yoh and Anna were sitting on the couch looking through their old photo albums.

Yoh turned the page and Anna pointed to an embarrassing picture of Yoh when he was little.

"Well, well, well. Seems like someone found a way to keep cool during the summer." she said.

Yoh blushed. "Um....well it was really hot outside.... and well..... they wouldn't let me swim.... so I had to improvise."

"By running around outside in your underwear!?" asked Anna.

"Well yeah. What would you have done?" asked Yoh.

"I wouldn't run around in my underwear. That's for sure." Anna wrapped her arms around Yoh's arm and nuzzled up against him. All Yoh could do was smile and hug her back.

Yoh turned the page once more and pointed to a picture of Anna and Horo Horo.

"Hey I remember that picture!" said Anna.

"Who could forget this picture? It's when you punched Horo Horo for making fun of that outfit that you made for me. Remember the one for that you made for the 2nd round of the Shaman Tournament?" said Yoh.

Anna smiled. "Yeah. Good Times." she said.

Everything was going great but little did Yoh and the others know that Hao was watching every move that they made. He was outside, perched on the branch of a nearby tree. He was staring through the living room window and saw Yoh and Anna together.

"Hmmm. Well, well, well, little brother. You've managed to make her fall in love with you I see," Hao grinned. "But not for long. Soon I will return and take back what is rightfully mine! Just you wait little brother. Just you wait." and just then, Hao was gone.

Yoh suddenly felt something. He immediatly stopped what he was doing and walked over to the window. Anna who was confused by his action, walked over and stood next to him.

"What's wrong Yoh?" she asked.

Yoh stared outside and looked out at the tree that was beside their house. He knew that someone had been spying on them, but didn't know who it was. He then sighed and looked over at Anna.

"Uh......nothing. I thought I saw something. But no. Nothing's wrong."

"Are you sure?" asked Anna.

"Yeah. Everything's fine." Yoh held Anna's hand and they both walked back over to the couch.

Ren and the other's immedialtey looked over at Yoh and asked what was wrong.

"Did you see something Yoh?" asked Horo Horo.

"Nah. It's probably just my imagination." he said.

"Are you sure?" asked Ren. Ren sat up straight as if he were ready to take on any interferance.

"Yeah. I'm sure." said Yoh.

They all continued to watch the tv and Yoh and Anna continued to look through their photo albums.

----------

Evening came and it was time for everyone to go to sleep. Anna and Yoh were already in their robes and were one of the last ones to go to bed. They both walked over to their bedroom doors (their rooms were right across from each other). But Yoh stopped before turning his nob. Anna had already opened her door, but stopped before walking in and looked over at Yoh. Yoh smiled and turned to Anna.

"Good Night Anna." he said. He went over and gave Anna a peck on the cheek.

"Good Night Yoh." Anna went over to him, gave him a hug, and a small peck on the cheek.

Hao was once again watching them (He was sitting on the same tree, but this time he was looking through Anna's bedroom window) He grinned evilly.

"Hmm. That's right Anna. Kiss your precious Yoh for the last time. Because soon the one you will be kissing is me." he said.

"Just you wait Anata. No matter what you shall return to me." he yelled. Hao continued to sit patienty on the tree waiting to make his move.

Anna slowly walked into her bedroom and sat down on her bed.

"It's time." Hao grinned. He went over and sat on Anna's window sill. He sat on the edge so that Anna wouldn't see him.

Anna continued to sit on her bed. But suddenly, she heard a small tap on her window. She looked up and walked over to the window.

"What was that?" she asked. She looked out her window, but saw nothing.

"Hmph. Must have been my imagination." she said.

Anna turned, but just before she walked away.. a hand came crashing through the window and grabbed her by the waist. Anna closed her eyes, but then opened them to find herself in Hao's arms on her window sill.

"HAO!!?" she yelled.

"Well hello Anna. Nice to see you again." Hao said as he held Anna close to him.

Anna was panting from the surprise ambush, and tried to pull herself away from Hao's grasp.

"Let me go you...."

Hao then put his finger over Anna's lips silencing her. He slowly moved his face closer to her's.

Anna knew what he was trying to do and took quick action. She raised her arm and slapped Hao in the face.

Hao looked at her in shock, but thought nothing of it.

"A little fisty tonight aren't we." he smirked.

"Don't you even think about kissing me!" she snapped. She continued to struggle but was not able to brake free from Hao's arms.

"The more you struggle, the tighter my arms will wrap around you waist." Said Hao.

Hao wrapped his arm tighter around Anna's waist. Anna squirmed as Hao tightened his grip around her.

"Y...Yo........Yoh!!!" Anna screamed.

"Yoh isn't going to help you!." Hao began. " He doesn't care about you."

"You're wrong!" Anna cried. "YOH! PLEASE HELP ME!!!!" she continued.

Yoh, who was already sleeping, immeadiatly woke up to Anna's screams.

"Anna?" he whispered. He got out of his bed and quickly ran over to Anna's room. He was shocked when he saw Anna in Hao's arms on her window sill.

"HAO!!!" he yelled.

Hao looked over at Yoh and smiled.

"Nice to see you again little brother." he grinned.

"What are you doing with Anna?!!!.................." Put her down!!" he demanded.

"Dear brother, I'm merely taking back what is rightfully mine." he said without hesitaition. He held Anna closer to him and gave her a peck on the cheek. Anna tried to move her head back but it was no use.

"Don't touch her!!!" Yoh screamed.

"AMIDAMARU!!! SPIRIT FORM!! INTO THE SPIRIT SWORD!!!

"CELESTIAL SLASH!!"

Hao chuckled. He raised his arm up and blocked Yoh's attack with a powerful wind that came out of his hand. He then raised him hand once more and pushed Yoh into the wall with the same attack that Yoh used on him.

Yoh was slammed against the wall and layed on the ground motionless.

"YOH!!!!" Anna screamed. She tried to reach for her beloved but was not able to because Hao was holding her back.

"Yoh please get up!!" she screamed. Tears began to stream down Anna's face as she saw small trickles of blood begin to stream down Yoh's body.

"YOH!!!!" she cried.

Yoh slowly opened his eyes and got back up with the help of his sword. He was breathing heavily.

"Well looks like you're a little stronger than I thought, little brother." said Hao.

"Leave..Anna.......Alone." Yoh ordered. He stood up straight and was ready to battle.

Hao chuckled once more. "Hmmm...I don't think so." he raised his hand and used his powers to push Yoh once again. Yoh fell onto the ground and moaned in pain as he hit the side of Anna's bed.

"You see little brother... I told you that I was taking back what was rightfully mine and when I say that, I mean Anna. So you might as well stay back and let me pursue my life with my one true love, or face the consequences." Hao planted a small kiss on Anna's neck.

Anna slapped Hao in the face once again. "Don't touch me!!!" she screamed.

Hao became frustrated and placed his hand around Anna's neck. He held her up so that Yoh could see the torture that he was putting her through.

"I....I can't breathe!" said Anna.

Yoh growled and got back up.

"Ugh.....LEAVE HER ALONE!!!!!!!!!!" Yoh leaped into the air. "CELESTIAL SLASH!!!"

This time Yoh's attack struck Hao's arm causing him to drop Anna onto the floor. But just before Yoh could get to Anna, Hao rushed over and picked her up again.

"Nice try little bro. But you're just not fast enough......Well I have to be going now. Let's go Anna my love." Hao forcefully kissed Anna on the lips. Anna tried to resist, but Hao pulled her closer to him. He then turned to the window and was ready to go, but stopped to the sound of Yoh's voice.

"NO. I WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE HER FROM ME!!" said Yoh.

"CELESTIAL SLA....."

Before Yoh could strike, Hao's Spirit of Fire appeared.

Hao quickly climbed onto his spirit and took Anna with him. He threw Anna over his shoulder and turned to Yoh and smiled.

"Bye Bro."

Anna reached for Yoh, but was not able to grasp his hand. Yoh did the same, but was not able to reach Anna's hand.

"YOH!!!!!" she screamed.

"ANNA!!"

But just then, Hao and Anna disappeared.

Yoh stood in shock over what had just happened, he continued to stand by the window with his hand out. After what seemed like an eternity, Yoh fell to his knees and a tear began to stream down his face. He quickly wiped the tear off and became angry.

He punched the wall next to him. He punched it so hard that it made a dent.

"Damn him." he said. "How dare he take the person that is most important to me. That son of a bitch!....." Yoh then sighed.

The other's woke up from all of the noise and rushed over to Anna's room. They were surprised to find Yoh kneeling on the ground with his fist to the wall and blood all over his body.

Ren and Horo Horo rushed over a helped Yoh up.

"Yoh!!! What happened?!! Are you okay?!!" they asked.

Tamao and Pilika both looked at the scene in shock.

"Bring some bandages and moist towels!!" ordered Ren.

Tamao and Pilika obeyed his orders.

"Yoh. Dude. What happened?" asked Horo Horo.

Yoh pulled himself away from Ren and Horo Horo and stood up in the hallway.

"Anna." he said.

"Anna?!! What happened to her?" they asked.

"Hao." he said

Horo Horo and Ren then looked at each other with a mad expression on their face. They both despised Hao.

"Amidamaru!" Yoh called. Yoh's faithful gaurdian appeared in spirit form next to him.

"Yes master?" he answered.

"Let's go." Yoh took off his robe (he had his normal clothes on underneath, don't ask me why) and pulled out his sword once again. He began to walk down the stairs and towards the front door, but Ren and Horo Horo stopped him before he walked out.

"Where do you think you're going!?" asked Ren. "You cannot go out like this. You're hurt!"

Yoh sighed. He then gently shoved both Ren and Horo Horo out of the way and walked out the door.

Tamao and Pilika came rushing down the stairs to where Ren and Horo Horo were standing, with bandages and moist towels in their hands. They then stopped and saw Yoh walking outside.

"Where's Yoh going?" asked Tamao.

"To find Anna." said Horo Horo.

"What happened to her?" asked Pilika.

"We don't know. The only thing that Yoh would mention to us was Hao." said Ren.

"Do you think that Hao kidnapped her?" asked Pilika.

No one answered.

"Do you think that she's okay?" asked Pilika.

Ren and Horo Horo sighed.

"Do you think we should follow him?" Horo Horo asked Ren.

"Not yet."..........."This is his battle."....."A Battle Between Brothers." answered Ren.

They all looked on as Yoh walked into the night with Amidamaru by his side.

Author's Note:

So what'd you guys think? Did I do a good job on my first Suspenseful fan fic? Well I hope that you guys approve of it and review me. I would really appreciate that. If you guys have any questions, comments, or suggestions then I would love to hear them. Well I hope to write the next chapter soon, but only if everyone approves of this one. I would also like to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I would like to give a shout out to a few of my fans out there that have always been there for me:

Yohna ( Big hugs!!!!! Thank you for all of the love and support that you've given me!!),  
Hannah-Asakura (thanks for all of your nice comments!!!!),  
Rays Number Gurl (Hope that you like this fic!And thanx so much for the support!),  
And YamiandAnzu4ever (hey thanx for all of your reviews! I hope that you approve of this fic!)  
Oh and Mitsume!! How could I forget you!! (hits my self on head) (Huge HUGS) Can't wait to see you again in school!!!

Well I gotta go. Love you all!! Bye!!

One more thing: In my story Anna is 15 and Hao and Yoh are 16 years old.


	2. Hostage

Hey everyone I'm back (as usual). I am so sorry for the LONG delay, but I had no idea what to write next. I knew what the last chapters of this fic were going to be about, but I had no idea what to write in between. But I figured it out. Well I hope that you guys will forgive me for the late update. Enjoy!

Battle Between Brothers  
Chapter 2: Hostage  
Start: 2/1/05  
Finish: 4/1/05 (Can you believe how long it took me to even think up this chapter?)

Everything was silent. Not a sound was made.

Anna was unconscious as she hung from the cave walls in Hao's hideout. Her arms and legs were chained to the walls in hopes of stopping any attempts of escape. Her head lay dormant and her hair covered her face.

Just then, Anna slowly lifted her head up as she slowly came back into consciousness. Her vision was obscured, and she was only able to see blurry images. She heard dripping water and she saw darkness all around her.

As she slowly came back into consciousness she realized that she was actually in a cave. She then looked down at herself and saw her arms and legs chained up against the walls. She moved them in attempt to escape, but found it useless.

Suddenly, her movements were silenced as she saw a dark figure approach her slowly. She wasn't able to see very clearly, but she knew that it was none other than Hao Asakura.

"Moving around won't make it any better Anna my dear." he grinned as he walked closer to the light exposing his face. Hao walked up to Anna and cupped her chin in his hands.

"I've made sure to chain you up tight, just in case you try to escape." Hao then pulled Anna's face closer to his in attempt to give her a kiss on the lips.

Anna quickly jerked her head away before Hao's lips reached hers.

"Ugh! Don't touch me you bastard!" She screamed. Anna was obviously agitated seeing as though she was kidnapped by the one man that she hated the most.

Anna breathed heavily as she slowly looked up to see Hao's reaction from her sudden temper.

To her surprise, Hao did nothing. All he did was trace his finger down Anna's silky cheek and smiled.

"Well, well, well. Seems like I've made you angry." He responded.

"Nah you think?" Anna said sarcastically. "Where am I Hao? And why did you bring me here!" she asked. She quickly jerked her head away again causing Hao's finger to slip away from her face.

"Anna. Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I merely brought you here as bait. So don't expect too much. And of course when you have served your purpose, I plan to make you my bride and so on...but that's to come at a later time." He quickly finished.

Anna arched her eyebrow.

"Bait? What do you mean bait?" she asked.

Hao smiled and turned to face the other direction. His back was now towards Anna.

"I mean that the only way that I can have Yoh follow me without having his sorry excuse for friends following him, is if I take away the one thing that he cares about the most. And that's you Anna." He turned and grinned.

"Why do you want Yoh to follow you?" She asked.

Anna was quickly silenced when she saw Hao walk over to a small glass case in the corner of the dark cave. Hao exposed his right arm from under his long cloak and opened the glass case with caution. He then proceeded to pull out a long sword that he used to create spirit control with his Spirit of Fire.

Anna's eyes widened.

"No" She said as she shook her head. "You're planning to kill Yoh aren't you?" She screamed.

Hao touched the blade of his long sword and grinned.

"Precisely." he answered. "I never really liked my younger brother. And now that he has fallen in love with the girl that I've loved, well let's just say that I'm fed up." Hao walked over and placed the sword over Anna's neck but made sure that the blade didn't touch here. "So Anna? Ready to see your lover die?" He asked.

Anna gulped as she felt the cold aura coming from the steel blade as it hovered only a few centimeters away from her neck.

* * *

"Yoh! Where are we going?" Amidamaru asked as him and Yoh walked across a dark and abandoned park that was 1 mile away from the Asakura home. The night was cold and dark. There was a calming breeze in the area. But not even a calm breeze could control the anger that Yoh was feeling in his heart at the moment. 

"To find Anna." Yoh said coldly.

"Yes I know, but do you know where Hao might have taken her?" he asked.

Yoh stopped dead in his tracks. He sighed and stared at the ground.

"No Amidamaru. I don't. But I do have an idea as to where they might be." he stated.

"What is your idea?" Amidamaru asked.

"I think that Hao might have taken Anna to a secluded area where I would have little chance of finding them. But I also think that Hao took Anna in attempts of making me follow him. So he may have also taken her to a place that I may eventually find."

"But why would he want you to follow him Master Yoh?" Amidamaru asked, still confused.

Yohnarrowed his eyes, but did not answer.

* * *

Back at the Asakura household, everyone was alert and awake. How could they possibly go to sleep with one of their friends being kidnapped and the other gone to rescue her. 

Horo Horo was walking back and forth in the dark living room...thinking. Ren was sitting down on the couch with his hands to his face...also thinking. Tamao and Pilika still had the moist towels and bandages in their hands and were sitting on the steps, all the while looking at Horo Horo and Ren.

Horo Horo then stopped and looked over at Ren.

"Ugh I can't stand this anymore. Waiting is not my thing. We have to follow him Ren! Anna's been kidnapped and now Yoh's gone to look for her. He's bound to find Hao sooner or later and what do you think is gonna happen when the two meet? They're gonna battle and Yoh could end up even more wounded than he was when he left! We have to go and help him!" he shouted.

"I said not yet!" Ren hollered. "Yoh has not found them yet so calm down." He finished.

"How do you know?" Horo Horo asked.

Ren sighed and turned to look at Horo Horo. "Do you really believe that Yoh would be able to find where Hao and Anna had gone off to in the middle of the night and in 20 minutes?" he asked.

"Uh well no...but anything's possible." Horo Horo finished.

Ren then looked out the window and stared the cold moon that was being engulfed by the midnight clouds.

"Besides. I can tell that Yoh does not want us to interfere. I saw the look in his eyes before he left the house. A look that I know all too well. There is nothing in his soul right now but pure rage and anger. He will not allow anyone to help him, nor will he compromise. He has set off to find his brother on his own...and when he finds him...he will show no mercy." Ren said.

"Pst whatever dude. You're crazy." Horo Horo said in disbelief. "I saw the look in his eyes to. And they had no sign of pure anger and rage. Sure he was mad and everything, but I still think that he wants us to help him." Horo Horo then walked over and sat next to Ren on the couch.

"Listen Ren. We've been with Yoh forever and we've always been by his side. And now is no exception. We have to stand by our friend again even if he doesn't ask us to. Hao took one of our friends to and we have to go and find her as well. This isn't just a Battle Between Brothers. Hao hurt all of us and we have to go and show him that we will not stand idly by as he continues to take advantage of the people that we care about. We have to end this once and for all." Horo Horo then extended his hand in hopes that Ren would agree with him. Ren looked up.

"So what do you say Ren?" Horo Horo asked as he extended his hand even further.

Ren looked at Horo Horo for a moment, but then looked back down at the ground.

"No. We are not going anywhere." Ren responded on a cold tone of voice.

Horo Horo's eyes suddenly widened. His expression then turned to one of anger. He stood up and started to head towards the door.

"Man I don't get you sometimes! Two of our friends are gone and all you want to do is sit around on your ass! Well that's it. If you're not gonna do something...then I will. I'm tired of waiting aroundwhile my friends are in trouble. You can stay and sulk for all I care, but I'm gonna go and help my friends!" Horo Horo opened the front door, but then stopped at the sound of Pilika's voice.

"Please stop Horo Horo! Ren does have a point. When Yoh finds Hao, there may be a ruthless battle and if we step in and intervene, one or all of us could get hurt. We have to trust Yoh and let him fight on is own. This is his battle...not ours." she finished.

Horo Horo sighed.

"Not you to Pilika. Don't listen to what Ren says. He's a lunatic. I for one am not going to let my friend fight on his own and if you want to stay, then stay!" He shouted. Horo Horo was about to walk out the door, but Tamao interrupted.

"Horo Horo! Please listen to him! We can't follow Yoh. You may end up getting seriously hurt if you intervene.! Please Horo Horo, please just wait a few more minutes so that we can figure something out. Don't put you life on line, just to prove Ren wrong." Tamao begged pleadfully.

Horo Horo then sighed and let go of the door.

"I'm sorry Tamao, but I just can't do that. I am not one who likes to wait around like you. I am a person that takes action and stands up for my friends. You of course have never really known what it's like to see one of your friends in danger, but I have. So you can stay and worry like you always do, but I'm going to go and help my friend!" Horo Horo then walked out the door and slammed the door behind him.

"Horo Horo!" Pilika called.

Horo Horo walked into the cold night and disappeared.

Tamao sat and thought about the words that had just been spoken to her. She couldn't believe what Horo Horo had just said to her.

Pilika got up and started for the door.

"No Horo Horo. Don't go." She was about to run out the door, but she stopped to the sound of Ren's voice.

"Let him go." Ren said calmly. He still had his face cupped in his hands.

Pilika turned and looked over at Ren in shock.

"Huh?" she asked.

"I said let him go." he repeated.

"But we can't just let him chase after Yoh! He doesn't even know where Yoh is! And he could get hurt! My own brother...how could he..." she started.

"Horo Horo knew the risks that were involved by interfering in a conflict that was between Yoh and his brother. He didn't care. So now that he is planning to get in the way of a battle that is not his...he will bring forth considerable consequences that he brought onto himself . And he will have to face them on his own. We won't be able to help him." Ren finished.

Pilika then dropped to her knees, tears falling from her eyes. "No. I can't believe that you're doing this Horo Horo." she cried. "You never listen...and now...you're going to have to pay the price." She then looked out the window as well. The moon light illuminating the tears that were slowly streaking down her face. "Please Horo Horo. Please be all careful."

Tamao looked up at Ren.

"Is there anything that we can do Ren?" she asked.

Rennarrowed his eyes, but did not answer.

Author's Note:  
Whoa it's been like 4 months since I last updated this story. And this chapter was pretty gay wasn't it? It's been such a long time since I last updated this story, that I completely forgot what I had planned and so I just wrote anything that came to my mind. I know that this chapter was short and crappy, but please understand that it has been a while since I even read the last chapter so I have no clue as to what is going on right now. I promise that I will get back on track and try to update this story sooner, and make it even better. Thanx for reading and again I am soooo sorry. Love you all! Bye!


	3. Lonely Journey

Well I only got 6 reviews for the last chapter, but I don't care I'm gonna keep writing this story cause it's one of my favorites and cause it's getting too excited to end it now. If you read this story and like it, can you please review it? I'd really appreciate it. Well anyways here's chapter 3.

Chapter 3: Lonely journey  
Started: 5/20/05  
Finished: 5/25/05

Disclaimer: If I owned Shaman King, I'd immediately claim Hao as mine. Hee hee just kidding.

Horo Horo stomped his way across the street walking further and further away from the Asakura household. A look of pure anger written across his face because of the earlier situation.

"Ugh who does Ren think he is? He won't even go help two friends in need? It's like he has a heart of stone or something. He doesn't care about anyone!" Horo Horo shouted as he kicked pebbles across the street with his foot. "And now he's even got Pilika thinking the same way. What the hell is he thinking?"

Horo Horo suddenly stopped and looked up as he found himself in a dark park that was about 1 mile from the Asakura household. (A/N: The same park that Yoh was walking through earlier)

He looked around and saw nothing but darkness. The only light around was the light from the moon and the faint lights that came from the light posts a few feet away. He suddenly came to realize that he had no idea as to where he was going. He didn't have a clue as to where Yoh or Anna were, so where was he going?

"Wait a sec...where am I going?" He asked himself. He looked around at his surroundings once more. Thousands of thoughts hit his mind as he was surrounded by silence.

_What if I'm not even going the right way?  
__What if I've been going the wrong way this whole time depriving Yoh of much needed time?  
__What if Yoh and Hao are battling already?  
__What if Yoh's hurt?  
__What if Anna's hurt?  
__What if one of them is dead?_

With each thought that came into Horo Horo's mind, anxiety and goose bumps soon followed. The feeling of uncertainty was to much for the ainu. He would just have to trust his own instincts in hopes that they would lead him the right way.

Horo Horo continued to walk through the cold embrace of the night hoping Yoh and Anna were ok.

* * *

Back at the Asakura household, Ren, Pilika , and Tamao remained in the same positions in which they were in when Horo Horo departed.

Ren was sitting calmly on the couch tapping his foot, Pilika was sitting on the floor hands together above her chest praying that Horo Horo wouldn't be harmed, and Tamao was sitting on the steps holding the soft warm towel to her face so that it could provide even the smallest amount of comfort that she needed.

Pilika continued to sit on the floor becoming impatient by the minute. She didn't like to sit and wait while her brother was out on a dangerous mission. It just wasn't her way. The young girl slowly rose from her position on the floor and spoke.

"I can't take this anymore. I don't like waiting just hoping that my brother is okay. I want to make sure that he's okay. I can't sit around like this anymore. I have to go!" She shouted.

"Calm down." Ren answered as he continued to tap his foot on the darkened floor. "Horo Horo's fine. There's no way that he could possibly know Yoh ran off to." He said calmly.

"How can you be so sure?" Pilika asked.

"It's your brother that we are speaking about. If he doesn't find something in 10 minutes, he gives up." Ren replied.

"Yeah, but...I don't know. He doesn't really have to find Yoh to get himself into trouble. Sometimes, trouble finds one that is hiding and least expecting it." (A/N: I'm starting to sound all philosophical XD)

All of this talk of trouble and danger was making Tamao anxious. She didn't like to sit around while people talked about such things. It worried her even more. She wouldn't listen any longer.

Tamao slowly parted away from the warm towel and stood up from the steps. "Uh I'm just going to go upstairs and clean up the mess left behind in Anna's room." Tamao said anxiously.

Ren and Pilika both looked at her and simply nodded. As Tamao slowly turned made her way up the steps, she knew deep inside that Ren and Pilika understood that she was just trying to make up an excuse to avoid the conversation.

As Tamao grew closer to Anna's room, a fear grew in her soul. She breathed slowly as she prepared herself to see the pain left behind by selfish acts such as the one that had just occurred. Pain such as blood on the carpets, pieces of shattered glass scattered along the floor. A cold breeze that would blow in giving off an eerie feeling to anyone that stepped into the room. It was time.

As she slowly creaked open the door to Anna's bedroom, her thoughts were realized. The sight of shattered glass and stains of blood filled the room. The ghostly breeze made it's way through the shattered window with ease. The entire room was filled with sorrow and pain. Tamao's eyes slowly filled with tears as she imagined the struggle that must have taken place in this room while she was sleeping.

She slowly kneeled down onto the ground and placed the white towel onto one of the stains on the ground watching it soak with Yoh's blood. The sight was too much for Tamao.

Seeing an inanimate object soak in the blood of her first love, made Tamao's heart ache. Even though she had given into the fact that Yoh's heart belonged to Anna and had accepted it, she was still very loyal to Yoh and was very close to him. Just the thought of her sleeping in her warm bed, while Yoh battled at the loss of his physical strength made Tamao realize that what Horo Horo said was actually true.

As she continued to wipe the stains and pick up pieces of glass off the floor, Tamao couldn't help but think if she was worthless after all.

"Ow!" She shouted as a piece of glass parted from her hand and fell onto the ground. Tamao looked down at the palm of her hand. "I'm bleeding." She said. Tamao traced her finger along the cut and then looked at a blood stain on the floor. She sighed.

"What am I complaining about? This cut is nothing compared to the cut that Yoh must have received when he was trying to prevent Anna from being taken." Tamao quickly wiped the layer of blood that was coming from her cut and continued to clean the room.

As she scrubbed the floor thoughts flooded her mind as she was surrounded by silence. Flash backs of what Horo Horo said to her.

**Flashback:**

Horo Horo then sighed and let go of the door.

"I'm sorry Tamao, but I just can't do that. I am not one who likes to wait around like you. I am a person that takes action and stands up for my friends. You of course have never really known what it's like to see one of your friends in danger, but I have. So you can stay and worry like you always do, but I'm going to go and help my friend!" Horo Horo then walked out the door and slammed the door behind him.

**End of flashback**

The same words repeated over and over again in Tamao's mind.

**Flashback:**

"So you can stay and worry like you always do, but I'm going to go and help my friend!"

**End of Flashback**

Every single time that Tamao replayed that thought in her mind, she became more and more disgusted in her self. It was true. All she ever did was worry about someone and hoped that they would be okay. She never made an effort to guarantee the safety of an individual that she cared about. Never. Every single time that she worried and never took action, her friends would get hurt, but mange to survive. Well it was time to take action and ensure that her friends didn't become injured just because she was too afraid to step up and defend her friends.

Tamao stood up and looked down at the white towel covered in red stains in her hands. Her eyes narrowed as she took the towel and flinged it onto the ground. Her mind was made up.

She was going to follow Horo Horo.

Tamao slowly walked out of the room and walked determinedly down the steps.

Ren and Pilika looked on as they saw a determined Tamao make her way towards the front door.

"Hey Tamao?" Pilika called. "Where do you think you're going?" Pilika slowly rushed over to the door as Tamao opened the front door.

Before Tamao could leave, she decided to give her explanation.

A smile grew on her face as she turned towards Pilika.

"Horo Horo's right. I do worry too much." She started.

"Wait...no Tamao. Horo Horo didn't mean that. He was just angry and he didn't realize what he was saying." Pilika tried.

"No. I've been thinking about it and Horo Horo was right. Even I agree with him." Tamao replied. "It's time for me to break my selfish ways and go out there and defend my friends." Tamao looked out into the moon lit night where her journey would soon begin. "And so, I'm going to follow Horo Horo. Hopefully he hasn't found Yoh, Hao, and Anna without me." She grinned.

"Tamao you can't be serious?" Pilika questioned.

"I'm quite serious Pilika. Well...it's time for me to go." With that said, Tamao made her way out the door and into the cold embrace of the night.

"Tamao wait!" Pilika stretched out her hand, but was not able to grasp onto Tamao's arms.

"Let her go." Ren said.

Pilika turned. "Ren..." She called. "Two...Two of our friends are gone now and you still don't think that it's right to stop them?"

"It's not that it's not time to stop them. They are both unaware of the risks that lie before them by making such foolish decisions. That's all." He explained.

"But Ren. We should at least follow them and stop them before their decisions take them too far." Pilika suggested.

Ren continued to stare down at the silhouette of the moon on the floor, but did not answer.

"Do you want to leave me to...Pilika?" Ren asked calmly as he slowly looked up.

"What?" Pilika asked as her eyes widened.

"Is that why you are so eager to follow Tamao and your brother?" Ren asked.

"What?" Pilika slowly walked over and sat down on the couch next to Ren. "What do you mean, do I want to leave you? I don't want to leave you alone Ren. It's just that I don't trust that my brother can stand by his decisions alone. He's not one who always comes out a winner, and so I want to ensure that he comes out of this situation okay." Pilika responded as she also caught sight the moon silhouette on the ground.

"I see." Ren responded.

Silence flowed through the house as both Pilika and Ren sat alone in the house. Neither of them said a word.

* * *

Yoh continued to make his way through the darkness of the night in hopes of finding his love in time and not harmed. He made his way through a dark and dense forest a few miles further away from the park that he had walked through earlier.

"Master Yoh. Slow down. You are getting even more scratches on your arms by cutting through all of this thick vegetation." Amidamaru said concerned.

"It...doesn't...matter." Yoh panted. "I have to find Anna before Hao does something to her." He said as he continued to use his sword to cut down the branches that were in his path.

"But how do we even know that we are going in the right direction?" Amidamaru asked.

"Because." Yoh grunted. He quickly made due of a tree branch that was hanging in front of his face. He then stopped and turned to Amidamaru.

"Because I can sense him. I can sense him Amidamaru." He started. "I have just realized that all of Hao's pointless babbles are actually true. Like he always tries to explain to me...we are one. We are connected. And it's this so called 'bond' that I have with him that allows me to sense his presence no matter where he may be. I never realized that this connection was real until I started to think about it. And as I thought about it, I started to feel his presence resignating from somewhere in these woods." Yoh finished.

"I see." Amidamaru said as he stared down at the ground. "So he is somewhere in these woods?" Amidamaru asked as he looked onto the darkness of the proceeding trees.

"If my instincts are right, then yes. He is somewhere around in these woods." Yoh said.

"Then let us move forward and find Hao once and for all." Said Amidamaru determinedly.

"Hmm...right." Yoh answered. He raised his sword once more and continued on his journey.

* * *

Little did Yoh know that Hao was waiting for him as well.

Anna watched from her chained position as Hao trained and prepared himself for Yoh's arrival.

"This time little brother, you won't survive!" Hao grunted as he did sit ups on the cave floor.

Anna looked back onto the ground. "Yoh...please." Tears slowly started to flow from Anna's eyes. "Avoid this place. Save yourself."

Author's Note:  
Yet another long chapter eh? I'm really sorry for the slow moving chapters, I guess I just have a lot to write don't I? Well I hope that I this fic can regain it's fame again and receive more reviews than it did in the last chapter. But in order to do that I need you guys to review. So if you read this story and you like it so far, please review and tell me what you think. Thanx a lot. Love you all! bye!


	4. One life taken

Awww man. I only got 6 reviews for the last chapter (sighs) I might as well discontinue this story since it's not getting any attention. I don't want to, but I might not have a choice. But I'll give it another shot. So if you like this story and would like to see it continued, PLEASE review. Thanx to anyone who does. Enjoy chapter 4!

Disclaimer: Chiquita Linda does not own Shaman King. She only owns this fic and some other ones, but that's it.

Tamao made her way across the dark street completely unaware of where she was going.

"Oooh it's dark out here. I didn't know that it was going to be this dark and scary out here." She said as she raised her hands up to her chest.

She slowly looked around at her surroundings. An eerie breeze made it's way through the night as Tamao made her way across the street. The darkness and silence were slowly beginning to frighten her and she was slowly starting to regret leaving the house.

"I guess I should have just stayed at the house." She said fearfully. Suddenly, she remembered that she would never give up. Her friends were in danger and it would be scarier for her to see them hurt than for her to be outside alone in the dark.

"Hmph. I have to be strong for the sake of my friends." She said determinedly. "Besides my friends are the most important thing right now. And I can't afford to see one of them hurt." Tamao then continued on her search for Horo Horo and her friends.

* * *

Back at the Asakura household Pilika, and Ren remained in the same positions that they were in when Tamao left. None of them had spoken a word since Ren asked Pilika if she wanted to leave him as well. There was an eerie silence in the room as they both sat in the darkness. Not one sound was made or heard.

Pilika finally spoke.

"Do you think that they'll get hurt?" She asked as she slowly looked up at Ren.

Ren, who's eyes were closed, looked up stared at the darkened television that was across the room in front of him.

"Hmmm...I don't know. Hao is known to be ruthless. And if I am correct and he wants to fight Yoh alone, then he'll surely eliminate any of his friends that are standing in his way." He replied.

Pilika's eyes widened as she imagined what Hao might do to her brother if he were to intervene in a battle that was not his.

"Oh no." She trembled. "Horo Horo how could you be so foolish?" She cried. Pilika dropped to her knees and placed her face in both hands.

Ren turned and saw Pilika crying. He sighed and turned away.

"Look although Horo Horo's decision wasn't an intelligent one, that doesn't necessarily make him foolish, Pilika." Ren said.

Pilika sniffed and looked up at Ren. "But you said that..."

"Horo Horo cares a lot about his friends and he would do anything to save them, even if it meant that he would get hurt." He interrupted. "The truth is. Horo Horo's choice of pursuing Yoh wasn't really that foolish of a decision, but I would never think about doing that." He said.

Pilika was becoming confused.

"Wait a sec, you're confusing me here. So if Horo Horo's decision wasn't foolish, then why did you say that it was?" she asked.

Ren didn't answer.

"Ren!" Pilika questioned.

"Listen Pilika, I thought about it a little alright?" Ren blushed. "The truth is that Horo Horo was kinda smart for wanting to pursue Yoh because now Yoh won't have to battle alone. And if they both fight together, then the chances of one of them getting severely injured, becomes slimmer." Ren pouted.

Pilika smiled and slowly stood up from the floor. Ren looked up and saw Pilika slowly walking towards him. He started to blush furiously.

"Wh...wwhat are you doing!" Ren shouted.

Pilika walked over to Ren, opened her arms and tightly wrapped them around him.

"So you do care about them and you do think that it was right for them to pursue Yoh!" She said with glee.

"Hmph. That doesn't mean that I care about them." Ren protested. "And why are you hugging me?" He questioned.

"Because." Pilika answered happily as she wrapped her arms even tighter.

"Oh well that surely answered my question." Ren said sarcastically.

Pilika released Ren and then stared at him.

"Ren? But if you think that Horo Horo made the right decision, then don't you wanna go and follow them to?" She asked.

Ren stared at the ground and scoffed. "Like I said before, not yet." He answered.

Pilika's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Not yet? What do you mean not yet? What are you waiting for?" She shouted.

"I'm waiting for Yoh to find his brother first." He replied.

"What? Why are you waiting for him? And how do you know that he hasn't gotten there yet?" She asked again

"Because Pilika." Ren answered.

* * *

"I can't see anything out here." Tamao trembled as she walked through the dark and empty park. "Where am I even going? I have no clue as to where Yoh or Horo Horo are...so where am I going?" She asked herself as she looked around. Every where she turned there was nothing but darkness. 

From time to time she would hear the creaking sounds of two small swings as the swung around in the breeze. The small see saw, would slowly move up and down. It's sounds echoing through the large park.

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, Tamao saw something move.

"AHHHH! What was that?" She shouted trembling. There was nothing there.

Tamao looked around and noticed that it was nothing. She gulped and slowly started walking again.

"Hee hee I guess it was nothing." She said. "I'm just scared of the dark that's all."

Again, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH! What was that?" She shouted once more. "Who...who's there?" She said as she looked over at a darkened bush and noticed the leaves moving around.

"Is something there?" She asked again as she got closer to the bush. The leaves continued to rustle, but nothing came out.

"I'm...I'm...not afraid! Whatever you are...you better...just leave me alone because I have to help my friends!" She determinedly shouted.

Suddenly a small object shot out, pounced off of Tamao's shoulder, and ran away.

"AHHHH! Get off me!" Tamao shouted as the object pounced off of her. Hysterical, Tamao ran for her life.

* * *

_"Ugh. Where are you Yoh?"_ Horo Horo asked himself as he arrived in front of the darkened forest (A/N: The one that Yoh's walking through right now). _I know that you went through here, I can feel it. But this place is huge, how am I supposed to find you?_ He thought.

Horo Horo looked around at the boundary that separated where the park ended and the dark forest began. He looked around for any movements, but saw nothing. He knew that he would have to go in, in order to find Yoh, but he had no clue where to search first.

"Ugh where do I search first? This forest is huge!" He shouted. Horo Horo looked around once more but he couldn't make up his mind.

"Ugh I guess that I'll just have to pick a random place and start searching there." He said. He was about to enter into the dark forest, when he heard screaming coming from behind him. He stopped and turned around but he couldn't see anyone.

"AHHHHHHHH!" someone screamed.

"Uh...who's there?" Horo Horo shouted.

The screaming continued and he saw a shadow wondering around in the darkness, but he couldn't see anything at all.

"Whoever you are...show yourself! Now!" He shouted.

Just then he saw the shadow running closer and closer to him. It obviously didn't know where it was going. Just then the two collided and Horo Horo and the other person fell to the ground.

"Ouch! Watch where you're going you numbsk.."

Just then the light shined among the shadow showing that it was Tamao.

"Tamao?" He asked as he stood up. Tamao looked up.

"Horo Horo!" She shouted. "Am I glad to see you. I was completely lost and scared back there."

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he helped Tamao to her feet.

"Oh well." Tamao started. "Well I was thinking about what you told me back at the house, and well I realized that you were right." She said as she looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well I realized that for once I need to be strong and go out to save my friends. The truth is, that you were right Horo Horo. I should stop worrying about my friends and I should go out and help them in anyway that I can. And so I came to follow you." She finished.

"Tamao." Horo Horo said softly. "Look I'm really sorry for what I said to you back there. I didn't mean it. I was just angry because of the fact that Ren didn't want us to help Yoh. I sincerely apologize Tamao. I just didn't know what I was thinking." He replied as he lowered his head.

"No. You don't need to apologize Horo Horo." Tamao said as she slowly reached and held Horo Horo's hands in hers. "After all if it weren't for you, then I would have never changed my personality for the better." She smiled.

Horo Horo slowly lifted his head. "What?" He asked.

"Come on...let's go find Yoh together." She smiled.

Horo Horo smiled as well. "Right." They both then entered the forest together.

* * *

Through the dark and dense forest, past where Yoh and Amidamaru were, lied the dark cave that held Anna prisoner along with Hao. Anna's head lay dormant as she had finally given up all hope of escaping. Her hair covered her face and her mouth was slightly opened as she took in small and slow breaths.

Hao was on the other side of the darkened dungeon, exercising and getting ready for his brother's arrival. Sweat was running down his face and chest (XD!) as he did sit ups on the cold stone floor.

"1,201, 1,202." He counted.

Everything was silent except for Hao's voice and the soft sound of rattling chains as Anna moved her arms around, trying to stop the pain that she felt from being chained to the wall for so long.

"Do not worry Anata. It'll all be over soon. My ototo will be here any minute now and then I will finally prove that you are rightfully mine." Hao murmured as he continued his sit ups.

Anna took in a deep breath and sighed, but said nothing.

Suddenly, Hao stopped and shot up from the floor. Anna looked up.

"Hmmm..I sense that Horo Horo and that little girl that you all call Tamao are also searching for you and I. They might interfere with my plans if they find Yoh." He smirked.

"H..How do you know?" Anna said softly as she opened her parched and dried lips.

"I can sense it." Hao turned to her. "I won't have them interfering with anything. Hmmm.. I'll have to go to that Horo Horo and Tamao and stop them before they find Yoh." Hao said as he went over and grabbed his sword.

"Hao. Don't!" Anna suddenly shouted as clenched her fists causing her chains to rattle.

"Sorry Anna, but my mind is made up." He said as he turned back around.

"Hao!" Anna shouted. But it was too late. Hao had already disappeared.

Anna couldn't take it anymore. She swung her arms around and tried desperately to set herself free. The chains were tightening around her arms and legs and were causing her pain, but she just couldn't take it anymore. She continued tugging and pulling her arms, trying to set herself free. The more she struggled the tighter the chains became around her body became.

Finally, one of the chains on her arms tightened so much, that it cut Anna's arm causing warm blood to slowly flow from Anna's veins onto her arm. At that point, Anna moaned in pain and stopped struggling.

As she felt the warm blood pour from her arm and onto the cold ground she couldn't help but let go of all hope. All hope that Yoh would find her and rescue her before it was too late. Thoughts crossed her mind of how Hao would destroy Horo Horo and Tamao and then destroy Yoh before he could get to her. She knew that she shouldn't think negative thoughts, but her soul had finally let go of all hope.

"Yoh..." Anna suddenly murmured. "If you die...then I shall die with you." She said as she lowered her head and slowly closed her eyes.

* * *

"Uh...where are we Horo Horo?" Tamao asked frantically as she made her way through the dense and darkened trees with Horo Horo by her side.

"I don't know. But keep your eyes open for Yoh or anyone else." Horo Horo said as he used his snowboard to cut down all of the branches that were in their way.

Tamao nodded. She then started looking through the dark trying to find any signs of movement, but it was too dark for her to see clearly. Her eyes suddenly focused on a darkened shadow that was a few feet ahead of them. It looked too short to be a tree, and too tall to be an animal.

"Wait Horo Horo. Stop!" Tamao said as she grabbed onto Horo Horo's arm.

"What is it Tamao?" Horo Horo asked as he stopped and looked at Tamao.

"I think I see a shadow up ahead." She pointed.

Horo Horo squinted his eyes and tried to make out what the shadowy figure in front of them was.

"What is that?" He squinted as he slowly started to move closer.

"Wait Horo Horo! It could be dangerous!" Tamao warned.

"Just stay back here a while okay Tamao?" Horo Horo replied. He then slowly started to walk closer to the object.

"O..okay..but be careful." Tamao said as she held her hands up to her chest.

Horo Horo slowly walked closer and closer. The shadowy figure stood still and did not move as Horo Horo approached it. As he got closer, he was able to make out someone with long hair, and a long white cloak.

"Wait a sec...are you.?" Horo Horo began as he finally made it to the figure and was now face to face with none other than Hao!

"Yes. It's me. And I won't let you go any further!" Hao shouted as lifted both arms from under his cloak and lunged a sword right into Horo Horo's stomach.

Horo Horo let out a soft moan as the sword slowly pierced into his body and lunged itself into his stomach. Hao smirked as he watched Horo Horo's body slowly fall to the ground.

Tamao watched from far away as she saw Horo Horo's body fall to the ground.

"HORO HORO!" She shouted running towards him. "HORO HORO!" She cried. She threw herself onto the leaf covered ground and picked up Horo Horo's frail body into her arms.

"Horo Horo are you alright?" She cried. She then felt blood slowly start to cover her hand as she rested her hand on his stomach.

"No." She said as she looked at her drenched hand. "This is..." She began to realize what was soaking her hand. She then looked up and saw Hao standing in front of her with a sword in his hand and a smirk on his face.

"Well hello there young Tamao." Hao smiled as he lifted his stained sword.

"You..you...WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" She cried as she held Horo Horo tighter in her arms.

"I was merely getting rid of all interferences. I don't want you or Horo Horo to interfere with this battle." He said. "And since I have already gotten rid of Horo Horo.." He began as he lifted his sword and pointed towards Tamao.

Tamao tightly shut her eyes and clenched onto Horo Horo's body for dear life.

Hao then lifted his sword above his head and swung it through the air, until...

"LEAVE HER ALONE HAO!"

Hao stopped, and slowly turned around.

Tamao's slowly opened her eyes to see who had shouted. It was..."YOH!" She shouted.

Yoh was standing behind Hao, sword clenched in his hands and his loyal spirit Amidamaru by his side. Yoh slowly looked over in Tamao's direction and saw Horo Horo laying lifeless in her frail arms.

"What...did you do..to him?" Yoh asked his older brother as he took out his sword from it's sheath and performed Spirit control.

"Well, well, well. At last we meet, ototo." Hao said as he clenched his sword that contained Spirit of Fire's spirit.

Author's Note:  
Whoa XD Scary chapter don't ya think? I can't believe that I wrote that up there XD. But I thought that this story was getting a little lame so I decided to add a little suspense and drama in it. I hope that it was enough to keep all ofthe readers interested. And again, if you would like me to continue this story, can you please review and tell me what you think of this story so far? I would really appreciate it. Well until next time! Love you all! Bye!


	5. Tears from a mourning sister

-Yay Battle Between Brothers got some more reviews now...So I'll keep writing it like I promised. As for those that have been waiting for me to update **"Love at Last"** I'm really sorry but I have to put that story on hold for a while, cause I'm kinda stuck on the next chapter...but I'll try my best to try and finish it up..in the mean time enjoy chapter 6!

Disclaimer: Well SK ended here in the states, so I guess that the chances of me owning the anime are gone. Oh well..I can still own these stories.

"I didn't ask for a greeting Hao...What did you do to Horo Horo!" Yoh said rage fully.

Tamao's eyes widened at Yoh's shocking attitude. As she stared at him she could see his eyes filled with pure rage, his arms tightening around his sword ready to strike as anger rushed through his veins.

Tamao then looked down at Horo Horo as he lay cold and still in her arms...just then, soft tears slowly came from her eyes and fell onto Horo Horo's clothes as she wrapped her arms tighter around him.

"Oh Horo Horo please...Don't leave us like this." She said softly. "Please...you have to get up. Horo Horo!" She cried.

"Aww what a touching scene between a small girl and a dying boy...Well young Tamao. If you want to be with Horo Horo so badly, then I'll be glad to send you along with him to the spirit world!" Hao shouted.

Hao then lifted his sword with both hands and ran over in Tamao's direction ready to strike.

Tamao's eyes widened as she saw Hao run towards her with his sword. She let out a loud screech and covered her face with both hands.

"AHHH!" She screamed.

Suddenly,

"CELESTIAL SLASH!" Suddenly a bright red streak flew over at Hao, and knocked the sword right out of his hands.

Hao stood still as he saw his sword fly out of his hands and land into the ground beside him. He then turned and saw Yoh who was the one that sent the attack.

Yoh stood firmly on the ground with his sword in both arms. "Hmph. I told you not to touch her!" He said sternly.

Hao grinned and regained his posture.

"Well well don't we have a temper." Hao smirked. He then walked over and pulled his sword out of the ground.

Tamao looked in shock as she realized that she had just been saved from sudden death.

Yoh gripped his sword even tighter as he saw Hao retrieve his sword once again.

"Listen Hao...this is what you're going to do. You're going to leave both Horo Horo and Tamao alone and you're going to tell me where Anna is right now!" He shouted.

Hao chuckled. "Hmphmmhh ( A/N: Agh I can't write laughs XD) And what happens if I don't, dear brother?" Hao responded calmly.

"Then I will show you no mercy and fight you with all I've got. No matter what happens to me I'll make sure that you'll pay for what you've done!" Yoh responded.

"Hmmm…Well that does sound very enticing but I'm afraid I have to go. I have more important things to do than to fight you right now in dark. I'd rather fight you in a wider and more open area with no distractions. And so I'll leave you here with these worthless friends of yours.

Oh and If Horo Horo ever wakes up again, tell him that I said hi. I forgot to tell him that before I killed him." Hao smirked evilly.

Hao then turned and started to walk further and further into the dark forest when he heard a voice.

"No! You're not going anywhere Hao! You're going to stay right here and fight me!" Yoh shouted.

Hao turned and grinned. With a raise of his arm, he summoned the great Spirit of Fire. It appeared behind him and crowned over the entire forest!

Yoh gasped as he looked up at the giant beast as it arose from the abyss.

"I'm going to do what?" Hao grinned.

"Listen Yoh, if you want to see Anna again, then you are going to fight me where and when I please. And you are going to fight me without the aid of your worthless friends do you understand me?" Hao chuckled.

"Well then...I shall leave the 3 of you now and see how Anna's doing...I wonder if she's uncomfortable from being chained up for so long." He grinned.

Yoh's eyes widened when he heard how Anna was being treated. "WHAT?" He shouted.

"Good bye, Yoh." Hao replied. He and the Spirit of Fire both then disappeared into thin air.

Yoh's whole body twitched as he growled with anger.  
Tamao looked over at Yoh and saw that he had reached his breaking point.

Yoh shouted and jammed his sword right into the ground with all of the force that he had causing the earth to quake and red energy to surge down through his sword and right into the ground.

Tamao quickly shielded her face with her hands as she saw red energy surge through the ground causing the ground to tremble.  
Once the trembling ended, Tamao slowly uncovered her face and looked up to saw Yoh still standing, breathing in deeply.

"He's... gone to far!" He muttered. "I will never forgive him for this."

Yoh then took his sword out of the ground again and slowly walked over in Tamao's direction.  
He then kneeled down beside Tamao and looked into her eyes...this caused Tamao to blush slightly.

"I'm so sorry about all of this Tamao. I guess the anger got to me. But are you alright?" Yoh asked surprised calm.

"Uh uh..yeah I'm fine, but Horo Horo..."

"I know." Yoh said. He looked down and saw Horo Horo's cold body laying in Tamao's frail arms.

Yoh slowly turned Horo Horo over and looked at the fairly sized wound that Horo Horo had received in the stomach.  
Horo Horo was bleeding profusely and he made no movements.

Yoh slowly placed his ear on the left side of Horo Horo's chest and listened.

He then gasped. "HE'S STILL ALIVE!" Yoh shouted.

Tamao's eyes shot open. "WHAT?...Really?" She asked.

Yoh nodded. "Quickly...we have to try and stop the bleeding."

Yoh immediately took off Horo Horo's sweater and then the t-shirt that he was wearing underneath. As he took off the t-shirt...he was able to get a clear look at where Horo Horo had been wounded.

Tamao immediately closed her eyes and tried to hold back tears as she saw Horo Horo's wounds.

"The wound looks pretty severe, and he's bleeding a lot. If we don't find a way to stop the bleeding, he might bleed to death." Yoh pointed out.

Tamao opened her eyes once again and looked over at Yoh.

"Come Horo Horo...hang in there buddy." Yoh said.

Tamao couldn't believe that Yoh was so calm. He had been through so much with Anna being kidnapped and his friend being wounded..yet he was really calm right now. What happened to all of the anger that he had? Just a few seconds ago, he had jammed his sword and energy all into the ground, and now he was just aiding his friend.

With quick thinking, Yoh quickly grabbed onto a corner of his shirt and ripped off a long strip of fabric.

"This should be enough." Yoh replied. He then took the strip of fabric and wrapped it all the way around Horo Horo's wound.

"This should take care of some of the bleeding, but he still needs medical help." Yoh then turned to Tamao. "Tamao...I need you to help me."

Tamao looked down at Horo Horo and then nodded.

"Okay this is what I need you to do." Yoh began to demonstrate. "I need you to place both of your hands over Horo Horo's wounds like this." Yoh explained as he placed both hands on Horo Horo's stomach.

"And then I need you to press...not too hard, and not too soft. The pressure should stop some of the bleeding, and some is better than none." He finished. "So can you do that for me, Tami?" Yoh asked.

Tamao hesitantly looked down at the fabric that was covering Horo Horo's wounds. She saw as it slowly soaked with a darkish red color. This caused her to tremble.

"Don't worry Tamao, I promise that you won't touch any blood." He said as he looked over at her.

"Oh..uh... yeah, but are you sure that I won't hurt him?" Tamao asked.

"Don't worry. As long as you don't press too hard, he'll be fine. Besides he's unconscious right now, so he can't feel much of anything." Yoh chuckled innocently.

"...Okay." Tamao answered. She slowly raised both hands and gently placed them over Horo Horo's stomach. She could feel the warmth through her fingers as she placed her hands down with a small amount or pressure.

She looked over at Horo Horo's face...he looked so cold and there was no expression to his face at all. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were tightly shut.

"Hang in there Horo Horo...please." She whispered silently.

Yoh then reached for his sword, and slowly lifted himself up off the ground. He then proceeded to dust himself off and placed his sword back into it's sheathe.

Tamao looked up. "What are you doing, Yoh?" She asked.

Yoh then turned to Tamao. "Listen Tamao, I'm going to need you to take Horo Horo back to the house. He'll be safe there. Are Pilika and Ren there?" He asked.

Tamao nodded.

"That's good. Ren should know how to handle it from there since he knows a lot more about wounds and stuff than I do. But Pilika..." Yoh paused. "I hope that she'll be alright after seeing her brother." He finished. "Anyway, I need you to go back to the house...all of you will be safer there."

Tamao nodded. "But what about you? What are you going to do?" She asked.

Yoh looked into the darkened forest.  
"I have to find Hao before he does something to Anna." He replied.

"Huh?..But uh wait Yoh. You can't just go off on your own! Hao is a strong and ruthless shaman who will kill you without second thought!" She shouted.

Yoh chuckled. "Thanks a lot for worrying about my Tami, but trust me, I'm going to be fine. Besides...I won't be alone." He grinned.

Amidamaru suddenly appeared behind him in a flash of light.

"No wait. That's not what I meant, Yoh. You need more than Amidamaru to help you defeat Hao." She said worriedly.

"Well that's not really what I meant either Tamao." Yoh replied. "Amidamaru won't be the only one helping me."

"What?...What do you mean, Yoh?" She asked.

"You'll find out soon enough. Well see ya later Tamao! Remember to go back to the house where you'll be safe. Don't worry, I'll find Hao and be back in time for breakfast okay?" Yoh smiled.

He then waved good-bye and quickly disappeared into deeper into the forest with his faithful guardian by his side.

"...Yoh...be careful." Tamao whispered.

"Yoh...what exactly did you mean back there by "Amidamaru won't be the only one helping me"? Amidamaru asked.

"Ahhh...I knew that you'd ask that, Amidamaru." Yoh said as he continued to run deeper and deeper into the forest. "Well like I said to Tamao...you'll find out soon enough."

* * *

Hao suddenly appeared once again in the dim cave with a flash of light.  
Anna heard a noise and slowly lifted her dormant head.  
She felt so weak and her vision was beginning to cloud more and more as she remained chained onto the wall without any food or water. But as she turned to see who it was, she knew that it was Hao.

She watched closely and saw Hao slowly walk back over to the glass case in the corner and hung up his sword. But as she squinted her eyes, she saw that the blade had been tainted with blood.

Anna's eyes immediately shot open.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" She suddenly shouted. Her voice cracked because of her dry throat.

Hao then turned and looked at Anna. "Oh well hello again Anata. Awww you look so angry...What you're not even going to bother welcoming me back?" Hao chuckled.

"SHUT UP! WHAT DID YOU DO YOU SON OF A BITCH?" Anna was completely out of control, and her anger was getting the best of her.

"Whoa. Anna watch your language." Hao replied. "Besides...you don't have to worry...I didn't do much harm, but that meddling Horo Horo won't be interfering with my plans anymore." He grinned.

"WHAT?" Anna had reached her breaking point. She began to thrash her arms and legs around violently, pulling and tugging on her tight chains.

The sudden clashing sounds caught Hao's attention, and he watched as Anna thrashed around violently to set herself free. He saw as she pulled and tugged her arms a hard as she could. Her arms were covered with bruises as well as her legs, and he saw that one of her arms was now bleeding. But Anna kept going...why was she trying so hard to set herself free when she knew that it was nearly impossible?

Anna kept her stare down at the ground and began to pull her body forward as hard as she could. She was determined to break free...But as she pulled herself forward, one of the chains around her legs tightened so much, that it cut her leg.

Anna let out a loud cry and gave up on the spot.

Hao sighed and slowly walked over to Anna.  
"Anna stop, I can't see you like this anymore. Struggling only makes it worse, and I don't understand why you continue to struggle if it is only causing you more harm than good." Hao said surprisingly calm.

"Because...because you hurt my friends and it doesn't matter anymore." Anna said as she slowly lifted her head. "Whether I live or die now doesn't matter. It already feels like I'm dead." Anna began to cry.

* * *

"A few...more steps...and we'll be home Horo Horo." Tamao sighed in relief as she carried Horo Horo on her back...and made her way across the street..just in front of the Asakura residence.

"Please hang in there...we're...we're almost home." She whispered.

Tamao was obviously exhausted after carrying Horo Horo on her back for almost two miles.  
Her frail and small body wasn't strong enough to carry so much weight across a long distance.

But the pain didn't matter to her..all that mattered now was getting Horo Horo home safely and taking care of his injuries.

Tamao slowly took her final step...and walked up to the dark wooden door of the Asakura house...and slowly raised her fist up. She then lunged it down and knocked on the door a good 5 times.

Pilika and Ren...who had been sitting on the couch...half asleep...quickly lifted their heads.

"Was that the door?" Pilika said surprised.

The two then heard knocking again.

"It is...and whoever it is...they sound urgent." Ren said as he slowly stood up and went to the door.

Pilika stayed back on the couch and watched as Ren walked over to the door and placed his hand on the knob.

"Oh please let it be you Horo Horo..and please be okay." Pilika silently prayed.

Ren then slowly turned the knob and watched as the door flung open.  
Tamao had become so exhausted and all of her strength had finally given up.

Both Ren and Pilika watched as young Tamao slowly let out a soft sigh and dropped down towards the ground just as she took her first step inside.

"TAMAO!" Pilika shouted as she stood up and ran towards the door.

But as Pilika ran towards Tamao before she completely fell down...she saw Horo Horo on her back lifeless...and blood all over his shirt.

She immediately stopped and her eyes shot open wider than they have ever been. Both hands covered her mouth and tears shot down her eyes in a matter of seconds.

**"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! HORO HORO!NOOO!"**

Ren heard her screams of terror...they sounded like screams of a dying girl...he had never heard Pilika scream like this.

Pilika dropped to her knees on the cold wooden floor just a few feet away from both Tamao and Horo Horo and began to cry uncontrollably.

**Author's note:**  
Uhh...hi everyone...well I know what many of you want to say...**"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" **

Ha ha well I guess it has been almost 3 months since I last updated...but well in those 3 months I went back to school and have been completely caught up with work...so it's been a long time since I've even had the chance to visit fan fiction (sweat drop)

I hope that you're not all too mad at me...and I wanted to say..that I'll try my best to get back on track and update all of my stories...I'd really appreciate all of your reviews...(I missed getting reviews) and I hope that you all haven't given up on me...Thank you for reading and I love you all so much!

I'm still alive! Hee hee :)


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